It seems like Clean Beauty is getting more and more recognition everyday. While you may have heard of it, have you wondered what it actually means? What really is Clean Beauty? It is generally recognized that Clean Beauty is the part of the industry that is prioritizing the safety of ingredients over source. It is plant-derived when it makes sense, and organic when it can be – but it does not necessarily mean that it is 100% organic or natural. Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it is safe (think lead and heavy metals – or even poison ivy!), and just because something is synthetic doesn’t mean it is unsafe. So Clean Beauty is the fantastic space that demands both safety and high performance.

Yes, I know – for those of you thinking: “I don’t have time to think about this. We are all just trying to get all of our things done.” Have a successful career, be a good parent and partner, exercise and eat right, remember to pick up the dry cleaning… when are we supposed to find time to care about clean beauty and non-toxic lifestyle choices? I know it is tempting to let it slide, but stick with me for a minute as to why it really does matter.

The beauty business is somewhere around a $62B industry. Did you know that it is governed by a law that was written 80 years ago in 1938? And, it is less than 2 pages long. Let that sink in.

In the past 80 years, thousands of new chemicals have been created and introduced into commerce in the personal care industry, and 80-90% have never been tested for safety on human health. When I learned this, I was shocked, and then just angry.

Did you know that the EU bans over 1300 questionable ingredients from use in personal care products, while the US currently only bans 30? This is truly absurd.

So women, men, and children are using multiple personal care products every single day, for weeks, and months, and years on end… and we don’t know the impact of some of those ingredients in those products.

Which takes us back to the question: why do safer products matter? We all know people who are sick that should not be, from a variety of causes. The overall environmental toxin load that our bodies have to deal with on a daily basis is exponentially greater than what generations before us had to process. So, while I am not here to say that your face wash is going to kill you, it is important for us to look for ways to reduce our toxins when we can control them. What does this mean? We are in control of our activity levels and the food we put in our bodies. We are also in control of the products that we use in our home (plastics and cleaning supplies), and of course, the personal care products we use, from safer deodorant to skin care, makeup, and body products.

I’ve never been comfortable with making other people feel uncomfortable. But this message is too important to be kept silent. Do you want to know the amazing news? There are simple solutions all around you.

Clean beauty is the fastest growing segment of the beauty industry because consumers have become aware of the lack of regulation and want something better. They are voting with their dollars and seeking out safer choices. Many companies like Beautycounter were founded purposefully to be a solution to this issue. Of course, Beautycounter is my personal favorite in the arena because they create their products using their “Never List,” which proactively bans over 1500 ingredients, including the EU’s full list. Additionally, if you haven’t checked out Credo Beauty (which has both retail locations and an online presence), as well as several online safer beauty stores, you can find a variety of safer products quickly. It is so exciting to see that even Sephora has created its own “Clean” certification, highlighting the brands that they carry which meet a criteria to ban a good list of questionable ingredients. From Target to Neiman’s, there are now “natural” or “clean” beauty sections of their personal care departments, and this is exciting progress! It also makes it super easy for you to start making those safer choices.

We have to be active participants in our own well-being. We all know that we need to eat right and exercise, and that these are things we can control. The message that I hope you take away from this is the fact that we can do something about our environmental toxin load as well (and several medical organizations are now supporting this message publicly). Using safer products with better ingredients is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle, and it is at least one step in lightening the load of toxins that our bodies are trying to process. Let’s give ourselves the gift of safer choices. It really doesn’t have to be a burden; it can be a few simple changes. And my hope is to show you that we can have some fun with beautiful products along the way.

My long-term goal with this blog is to share information and empower others with ways to make healthier choices. Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to make some simple swaps in your everyday life.

Please tell me if there are certain products or areas that you want me to review! I have a long list but would love to know what YOU are interested in discovering.

Cheers to enhancing your beauty and lifestyle so that you can thrive in your Abundant Beauty!

“The greatest gift you can give someone you love is your own well-being.”